Bittersweet Memories
by mswriter07
Summary: In the quiet moments where he can let his imagination take hold he wonders what life might have been like with Caleb. Bittersweet, Deathfic, Introspection.


Luke McNamara, aged 35, had taken to rowing across the lake he owned that held a small island with a mausoleum that he took care of that held a friend that he wanted to make much more than that. They had went to Yale and were paired as soul mates for the secret society - the Skulls. They had worked really well together until the death of Luke's best friend Will Beckford.

Then Luke had to do everything he could to get out of the group that was responsible for his death - he wanted to take Caleb with him but the way the cards played out it wasn't meant to be. The senator played him like a fiddle and by the end he and his soul mate Caleb Mandrake had to complete a duel. Luke knew he could never kill Caleb for his father's sin so he never fired and Caleb, while a crack shot, missed on purpose when he fired hitting his dad's shoulder with the bullet.

While everyone panicked over Litten Mandrake's shoulder and the members rebuffing Luke and not caring about Caleb, everyone missed Caleb reloading the gun he used for the duel. Luke noticed at the last minute as Caleb moved to the edge of the patio and raised the gun the gun to his head. Luke started to run and he yelled, "No!"

Caleb swayed but didn't lose his nerve and fired. The shot rang loudly off the marble and the gun clattered to the ground as Caleb fell - lifeless. Luke caught him just before he hit the ground completely and saw the life finish draining from Caleb's eyes and face. Blood covered Luke's clothes and his tears mixed into the life source.

The other members of the group had gathered around and Litten tried to get near Caleb but Luke looked up and sent his own death glare towards the man that caused him so many problems. Luke's grasp never let Caleb's body go and Litten stepped back. The senator, Ames Levritt, even tried to get near but Luke snarled, "It's all of your alls fault he did this."

Luke tied his rower to the dock and went up to the the grave site. He looked at the pillars and the trees that surrounded the small building. He wandered over to the door that led him to Caleb's coffin and maybe his one day if his wishes were followed. He pulled open the door and looked up at the stone slabs next to each other. He designed this small place just for Caleb and he was finding it to be more of a home than his own small home where he and his son, Caleb, lived.

He pulled his backpack off and pulled out a few fresh blood red roses that he grew himself and laid them on Caleb's coffin. After he laid them down he ran his fingers over the Skull symbol that Luke had engraved into the top. His own coffin would have the same symbol when he was buried. Luke walked around and sat on the small bench near the slabs and he started to think of the few quiet moments he and Caleb shared before both their lives took a turn for the worst.

He closed his eyes and bit his lip as he imagined Caleb's body close to his as they talked and laughed and plotted what to do next in the initiation process. Even after fourteen years, Luke never forgot what Caleb sounded like, his laugh, and that playful gleam he had in his eye when he was plotting. Luke felt the tears fall down his face and soon he was outright sobbing. "I'm so sorry Caleb. I should have been able to help you. I was trying to help you, us. I wanted there to be an us and I'm sure you thought about it sometimes too."

He wiped his face and caught his breath and said, "Chloe left me after two years and tried to take my son away from me but the judge saw me as the better parent and gave me full custody. He almost thirteen and almost as tall as us. Smart as a whip too. All of his teachers like him and he helps tutor a few of the kids in his grade on the weekends he's not with Chloe."

Luke swallowed and pulled a flask out of the bag he had with him and took a drink. He had taken to drinking the kind of scotch Caleb drank at the parties and such and always had a glass when he visited the mausoleum. He twisted a ring on his hand around a few times and then started to pace the room. He saw the clouds drifting along the sky as the breeze picked up and felt his curls catch it. At that one moment, he almost felt like Caleb was standing next to him with his hand on his lower back, a favorite if they were in a crowd.

The breeze and sensation stopped at the same time and Luke opened his eyes the sun being blotted out by the increasing clouds. He walked back to the coffin and rested his hand over the roses and said, "Weather's changing. Gotta go for now. I love you Caleb." Then he left site with tears threatening to fall again.

~~FIN~~


End file.
